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Sunday, January 12, 2014

Ethical sociopaths?

Can sociopaths be ethical? A certain type of ethical, certainly. But before we talk about potential sociopathic limitations, this NY Times article ("In Life and Business Learning to be Ethical") about the issues with ethics that almost all of humanity shares:

The problem, research shows, is that how we think we’re going to act when faced with a moral decision and how we really do act are often vastly different.Here’s just one of many examples from an experiment at Northeastern University: Subjects were told they should flip a coin to see who should do certain tasks. One task is long and laborious; the other is short and fun.The participant flips the coin in private (though secretly watched by video cameras), said David DeSteno, a professor of psychology at Northeastern who conducted the experiment. Only 10 percent of them did it honestly. The others didn’t flip at all, or kept flipping until the coin came up the way they wanted.***[W]e need to be more aware of the ways we fool ourselves. We have to learn how to avoid subconsciously turning our backs when faced with a moral dilemma. And then we must be taught how to challenge people appropriately in those situations.“When people predict how they’re going to act in a given situation, the ‘should’ self dominates — we should be fair, we should be generous, we should assert our values,” said Ann E. Tenbrunsel, a professor of business ethics at the University of Notre Dame who is involved in the EthicalSystems website. “But when the time for action comes, the ‘want’ self dominates” — I don’t want to look like a fool, I don’t want to be punished.“Our survival instinct is to want to be liked and to be included,” said Brooke Deterline, chief executive of Courageous Leadership, a consulting firm that offers workshops and programs on dealing with ethical situations. “We don’t willfully do bad things, but when we’re under threat our initial instinct is to downplay or ignore problematic situations.”

Sociopaths may not have the same set of ethics (or issues implementing ethics -- our survival instinct is not so much to be liked and included), but it's also possible for sociopaths to have a personal preference about how they wish to act, even if it is just a personal aesthetic as opposed to be a moral code. Webster defines ethics as many things, including "a guiding philosophy". Maybe for sociopaths that would look something more like utilitarianism or "the diamond rule", as opposed to a saint's altruism and golden rule, but even criminals have codes.

At the heart of any choice to ascribe to a set of ethics, whether empath or sociopath, is a belief that your choices matter -- that you and others around you are affected by everything you choose to do. You don't have to believe in right and wrong to understand that you are what you eat. And I wouldn't want life any other way. What would be the point of making choices if they didn't matter? And if you believe your choices matter, it's only natural to ascribe to some sort of "guiding philosophy" about how to make those choices. So yes, sociopaths can and are ethical. Could sociopaths ever be considered more ethical than empaths?

28 comments:

M.E.'s true middle name is "Rebecca." The first letter of her middlename begins with the letter "R." The first letter of any name is calledthe cornerstone. It gives you important clues to the personality of theperson. "R" is governed by the #2. 2's are sensative, empathic people.The middle name is the "hidden" soul name. It's what the persontruly aspires to be, what they are thinking when no one else is around.At heart, M.E. wants marriage and children. She DOES want thewhite picket fence. She said on Dr. Phil she would one day like to havechildren that she hoped would be sociopath so she could "teach" them.Nonsense! Be careful what you wish for.M.E.'s first (or outer name is "Jamie," The first name is the public face. It's how the outside world percieves you. The letter "J" is associated with JUSTICE. No wonder the public M.E.is a lawyer. "Jamie" tabulates to the number 12. 12 is concerned withhigher education and academa. No wonder the "public" M.E. is alaw professor.Though I am hated, I certainly don't hate YOU. I want to givesociopaths the ADVANTAGE. They add spice and excitement to life.Go on believing in bastard "science." Where has THAT gotten you?It's how the public world percieves

For all of this to be correct, M.E.'s parents would have had to be able to see the future when they named her. Your name may affect how you view yourself, but as far as I know, it won't do anything to what you want to do. That being said, I personally think it would be creepy yet awesome if this was true, because just by somebody's name, you could instantly figure them out. And if you named somebody, you could choose their name to make sure they were the type of person you wanted them to be. Unfortunately, I doubt that this is completely based in fact, sorry.

Hollow folks certainly can be "idealistic", just look at the nazis. But the ideals sure will be "twisted". In the country where I live politicians used to talk a lot about "ethic & morals", underlining the value of these things, again & again. The only trouble with such statements is that everyone already have ethics of some kind, the saint has his ethics & the bankrobber has his. So of course most psychos are ethical, but what they believe in most likely would make them rise quickly through the SS ranks in 1941. "Morals & ethic!"

It actually does seem like in certain circumstances sociopaths could be more ethical than empaths because they don't have a bunch of crazy emotions getting in the way telling them to do one thing one time and something else another time.

I like the sociopathic side of things because it is not affected by emotion, and so it is better able to determine right from wrong in any given moment. But then I like the empathic side because it has integrity.

I'd love to fuck in a church service. My partner says I'm a weirdo. Lol. O but I have ethics. Maybe a little on the wild side. But there are codes I won't break. I feel like I'm in love, O WAIT SCRATCH THAT LOVE WORD. I care deeply about two people. My partner knows. Does not judge me, but listens when the thoughts have come. Psychology today wrote a good description of this. The heart is capable of doing this. Do i consider myself trash for feeling this way. NO. I had to accept it. I have ethics. Yes I do.

Can you tell me more of your operating system. I need to know how to curb my feelings. You seem wise. I care for him like a best man cares for their friend. That's what i call love in its purest form. The most purest form. The same for my partner. The virtues just like you mention below. The heart is capable of caring for two people. Even when your in a relationship. This I know.

Anyone can devise a set of ethics. Consistently figuring out ways to let yourself of the hook while holding everyone else to the letter of the law is what often renders an individuals' so called ethics useless.

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Of course, my default is still to intuitively analyze every outcome and situation and achieve the best result, but it's more interesting to let people remain a variable and go in their own direction, rather than nudging them in the direction I prefer. Interacting with people WITHOUT trying to control them is a new paradigm for me.